The Sukkah That Fits Us All: Sukkah Dimension Basics

Welcome to the buzzing world of Jewish life, where every holiday comes with its very own special ritual objects. You've got the  shofar  trumpeting on Rosh Hashanah, the  Sukkah  and Four Kinds popping up for Sukkot, the candles gleaming on Chanukah, and the  matzah  crumbling on Pesach. It’s like living in a year-round Jewish pop-up museum where you can touch the exhibits. 

But here's the twist — these objects aren’t just any old things. They’ve got to be just the right size. Think Goldilocks. A 3-inch chair? Not going to work (unless you're inviting ants over for Shabbat). A 30-foot chair? You might as well invite Goliath for tea. That’s why halachah (Jewish law) is full of guidelines on how big or small everything must be. From the precise amount of matzahto nibble on Pesach, to the exact height limit of your Chanukiah, it’s all about getting things just right.

Take the Sukkah , for example. This  cozy little hut  is your home-away-from-home for the seven days of Sukkot. But it’s got to meet some real estate criteria. Too short (under ten tefachim– about 40 inches ), and you’ve got yourself a glorified hamster cage. Too tall (if the ceiling is more than more than 20 amot– about 30 feet – above its floor), and you’re living in a luxury loft, which defeats the purpose of it being a “temporary dwelling.” That’s why halacha lays out the Sukkah’sblueprints — minimum height, maximum ceiling, and how to avoid turning it into a breeze-blocker with too many gaps in the walls. Flip through the right chapters of the  Talmud (tractate Sukkah), and you'll think you’ve stumbled into an ancient version of “Sukkah Construction for Dummies.”

Although if keeping track of all those measurements is making your head spin, check out our handy guide to picking out a Sukkah where the thinking’s been done for you. 

Here’s where it gets interesting: there are two dimensions where the sky’s the limit. The Sukkah can be as wide and long as you want. Want a Sukkahthe size of your neighborhood? Go for it! Fancy covering an entire continent? Sure, why not! It might sound like an extreme game of ‘Jewish Minecraft,’ but according to the Talmud, it's completely  kosher  . 

Now, you might wonder, “Why the exception?” Why is it that while every other object and dwelling has strict size limits, the Sukkah’swidth and length can go full-on infinity? The answer, of course, is  all about unity.  Leviticus 23:42 reads as follows: “In Sukkot(huts) you shall dwell for seven days; all citizens of Israel shall dwell in Sukkot.” Under the Torah'ssystem of multi-meaning exegesis, this verse also indicates that “all citizens of Israel shall dwell in the Sukkah,” implying that ideally, all of us should squeeze into one enormous  Sukkah — one giant tent of togetherness.